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Why waste our money on education in the arts? Teach kids things that will be useful!
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by K.E.Lubrecht
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21 September 2003
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For over 16 years I taught math, science and computer classes in public schools. I taught "the important stuff!" These were the skills that individuals would use after they left school, although some of my students weren't sure that they would ever need Algebra or Physics. But the arts, surely when it came to paring down budgets, we could lose those classes without harming our future and the individuals' development.
Beyond saving jobs for the teachers, there are reasons to save the classes. The study of the arts has been shown to improve students' grades as documented by the Arts Education Partnership. Leonard Jacobs probes the economic impact of the arts in many areas in his article Arts Funding Struggles Coast to Coast California Screamin', and A Connecticut Yankee in King Culture's Court. These still address the arts in their purest form. They provide diversion. What about the very practical side of the arts?
When something is done well, it looks effortless. We may not notice it until it is missing. Then we may just know that something is wrong without being able to specify it. We may enjoy the *feel* of one office or home over another without realizing that it is the design or background music. Consideration of the colors and styles subconsciously creates a mood. We are drawn to the look and feel of a car. The web sites we visit utilize artists to help with the layouts' presentation and usability. The visual arts are everywhere! Consider:
- advertisements on billboards, in newspapers and on the web
- web site visual layout
- design of automobiles and other *useful* items
- graphics on DVDs and CDs
- lead-ins on movies
- wall paper patterns
- clothing
What else can you add?
Funding education is a dilemma that requires very difficult decisions. We need to train the next generation to think and feel. We need to be careful about what we consider trivial. Not only may we be losing a Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Picasso or Monet, but we will be risking a very drab existence without so many of the things we take for granted.
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References
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K.E. Lubrecht has been in website development since 1997. Prior to that, she worked as a teacher. She holds a bachelors degree in physics with a related field of mathematics, and graduate work in education. In addition, she holds webmaster certification. Her education has continued as technology has advanced, and needs and interests have warranted. |
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